October 17, Wednesday, 2018 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Michael Reese and Ms. Mariko Kojima

  1. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Spanish Minister Pedro Sanchez have agreed to step up cooperation on a wide range of issues including the promotion of multilateral free trade.
  2. The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has notified Congress that it intends to start trade talks with Japanese officials. The negotiations are expected to begin as early as January.
  3. Turkish investigators have cancelled another search of the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul to find out what happened to the Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

October 16, Tuesday, 2018 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Fumiko Konoe and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai

  1. General spending in Japan’s national budget for fiscal 2019 may top 100 trillion yen, or about 895 billion U.S. dollars, for the first time in the initial plan.
  2. Japan’s prime minister has left for his European tour, including attending a summit of the Asia-Europe Meeting known as ASEM.
  3. Turkish investigators have concluded a search at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on the state of a missing journalist.

October 15, Monday, 2018 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradhan and Ms. Fumiko Konoe

  1. Japan’s prime minister has reiterated his commitment to amending the country’s Constitution to incorporate the Self-Defense Foreces.
  2. Radical militants in Syria have reportedly not left an area designated to become a demilitarized zone in the country’s northwest.
  3. Foreign ministers of Britain, France and Germany have demanded Saudi Arabia’s full cooperation in uncovering what has happened to a missing Saudi journalist.